Our History

We are Preaching Biblical truth from this hill in the Ocala National Forest until Jesus Comes!

We are Preaching Biblical truth from this hill in the Ocala National Forest until Jesus Comes!

The beginning of Faith Baptist Church is fondly remembered as a time when the presence and guidance of God was strongly felt.  He was leading and preparing the way.  Two men (Fred Daunhauer and Ike Stephenson) had been led to start a new ministry somewhere in the forest.  They met regularly to pray, plan, and pursue the place that God was leading them to.  By the spring of 1983, France Smith had joined these two men in this quest until June when the Smith’s left to go up north for the summer.  God stirred the Smith’s heart about opening up their home as a temporary solution.  Armed with a place to worship, some folding chairs were procured, the furniture pushed off to the side, bedrooms were used for Sunday school and nursery, and on Sunday, September 11, 1983, the first service was held.  One of the first decisions to be made at the first business meeting was the name to be given to this new church.  The popular choice was Faith Baptist Church.  Almost every service had a visitor back in those early days, with many eventually joining the church.  The growth was a real praise and a concern as the need for more space became apparent, so the Smith’s offered to allow the church to build next to their home a building. A builder was attending the church at that time who helped design the building.  It was designed with a large front opening so that the building could be converted into a garage after the church moved out.  The congregation gave willingly of their finances, abilities, and time and before long the building was ready for occupancy.  Many miracles occurred during this time resulting in the A/ C, heater, carpeting, pews, pulpit, flags, a piano and so much more.  The first service in this building was on December 25th 1983.  As growth continued, land was sought with God’s blessings on the church and they bought property on north 314 A.  There, a new sanctuary with a Sunday school wing and a fellowship hall were constructed.  We enjoy this building today.  In January of 2005 construction on a parsonage began as the new assistant pastor and his wife (Melodie Walton) moved in it in late September.  Pastor Fred, who became the pastor somewhere back in the late eighties, retired in December of 2006.  Roger Walton became the third pastor of Faith Baptist church in January of 2007 thru September 9, 2018.  In April of 2018 Josh Sweet and his family moved to Silver Springs, FL to begin a ministry of Assistant Pastor at Faith Baptist Church. On September 10, 2018 Josh Sweet became the fourth pastor at Faith Baptist church. May God continue to bless his work on this hill.

 

 

Our Pastor

Pastor Joshua Sweet began his ministry at Faith Baptist Church on April of 2018 as the assistant pastor.  He graduated from the Crown College in May of 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Youth Ministry. September 10, 2018, he became the Pastor. 

As a boy, Josh grew up in Silver Springs, FL.  He graduated from Ocala Christian Academy in May of 1998.  In 2003, he married Amanda.  They now have four children.  After being away from Silver Springs for several years, they are excited to be working in the ministry at Faith Baptist Church. 

Pastor Josh and Amanda Sweet

Pastor Josh and Amanda Sweet